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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Farm trip

This morning I had a road trip to a local farm to pick up a fresh raw goat milk. It's all started with Farmer's Market and ... a soap. Because of a hot summer our Farmers Market had fewer merchants to buy from. Some didn't have much to sell, and other, my guess is, didn't want to bake themselves in over 100F temperature. I don't blame them.

While produce section was almost empty, "honey" man and "soap" lady were at the market very often. At first, I passed by the "soap" lady thinking to myself: I am planning on making my own soap... soon... Few Saturdays later I stopped at the "soap" lady's tent to ask a few questions about her product and soap making. I think we chatted for an hour that morning, often interrupted by a real customers, who actually bought from her something. At the end of our conversation I picked a few soaps to try (without any fragrances, only goat milk, oils, lye and essential oils). I fell in love with the soap as I unwrapped it. It smelled of eucalyptus and mint. I closed my eyes, inhaled and murmured something... Soap formed soft and smooth lather when I washed my hands Well, I can sing dithyramb for a long time...Anyhow, I've been using that soap since. "Soap" lady was very nice and later made me a non-scented soaps and a Lavender soaps. When I went to pick up my Lavender soap order, it was a last day before Farmers Market closed for the season. I had a short chat with the "soap" lady, when it occurred to me to ask her about a goat milk. Dah! Oh, well, I was interested in a raw goat milk. She said, yes, she sells it and she can add me to her list. I think I jumped up from an excitement! Because I wanted raw and fresh (not frozen) milk we scheduled a first pick up for December 1st. This morning, December 1st, I geared up with two half a gallon jars, cooler, asked my dad to come with me, and drove 17 beautiful miles to Ginger's (that's "soap" lady's name) house. Road took me through a little hills and valleys of countryside to the town of Hackett, population 812.

Ginger was kind enough to give us a farm tour, introduced her "girls-goats" to us, told us how milking is done, where goats sleep, what they eat. Next to the goat house was a smaller construction, very cute. She said it is a chicken coop! Her chickens have a awnings on the window! I told her I want to be her chicken and live in in that coop...:)

Chicken coop...

We spent about an hour at Ginger's place. She also showed me her soap making space (garage is sacrificed for it), nice, neat, and perfectly organised. As I headed to the cooler with two jars of fresh goat milk, I asked if she sells eggs. To my surprise, she had some. What a nice day! I left with a warm feeling in my heart and a big smile on my face. I feel this way always when I pay someone for their hard work of planting, raising, milking, harvesting food for my table. And I prefer to pay directly to a farmer when I can so every dollar goes back to Ginger to help her raise chickens and goats, to "honey" man, to a "produce girl", that helps her parents grow and sell produce on the Farmers Market.

Today is Ginger's birthday. Happy Birthday, "Soap" Lady and thank you for everything!

Until next time,Cowboy Country Vegetarian

P.S. Lye in soap making is needed for saponification. There is no lye left in the final product.